Passengers disembark from Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 bound for Manchester from Lahore, Pakistan, after it was diverted to Stansted Airport, north of London. Picture: AP Source: AP

TWO men are expected to be charged today after threatening to blow up an airline passenger aircraft over Britain, sparking panic on board and the scrambling of a jet fighter from the ground.

Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 from Lahore was only minutes from landing at its destination Manchester shortly before 2pm, local time (11pm AEST) when a fight between two male British nationals began on board.

The men were having a rowdy argument with a woman when other passengers tried to intervene and calm them down.

Passenger Fakhir Iqbal told them to calm down to which one of the men allegedly responded: “don’t bloody speak to us or we will blow up the plane”.

Crew then intervened and spoke to the men but were abused and threatened by the pair.

After the threat to blow up the Boeing 777 aircraft, the pilot informed tower and activated an emergency beacon.

The aircraft was diverted to Stansted airport outside London with an RAF Typhoon fighter jet scrambled to escort it. There were 297 passengers on board.

Police and rescue service vehicles at Stansted Airport, Essex, England, after Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 bound for Manchester from Lahore, was diverted to Stansted following an incident on board.

A large contingent of police was on hand and arrested the men when the aircraft landed.

Passengers were evacuated as a bomb disposal unit went through the plane.

The pair, aged 30 and 41, was arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft”.

There had initially been reports the men were attempting to enter the cockpit.

One passenger, Umari Nauman, told Sky News: "The cabin crew informed us that basically they tried to come into the cockpit a few times and because they had been asked not to do that they got into a bit of an argument with the crew and made a few threats."

TV images showed on of the men dressed by police in a forensic suit to quarantine any evidence, being searched outside the aircraft.Essex Police Superintendent Darrin Tomkins said the pair was taken to an undisclosed police station where they remained in custody pending further interview.

A British Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon, similar to those which have been scrambled to meet a passenger plane.

“The rest of the passengers have been allowed to disembark the plane under police escort, they have been placed on airport coaches and have been taken to the terminal building for debriefing,” he said.

“The plane will remain at its current location and will be subject to forensic examination by specialist officers. At this point in time no suspicious items have been recovered.”

Supt Tomkins made it clear the incident was being treated as a criminal matter not a terrorist matter.

It is thought the aircraft was diverted to Stanstead because it is a larger hub and the aircraft could be moved to an extreme corner of the facility without disrupting other flights.

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